A Broken Reality
by AnimeXisXmyXstyle
Summary: Sasuke wanted to break everyone in Konoha. He wanted them to be as broken and corrupted as they had made him. She wouldn't let him, so he struck—and struck hard. What Sasuke didn't realize was that he had broken her down to her core, so that she could learn to build herself up again. A story about friendship, NOT a love story.
1. Chapter 1

**A Broken Reality**

* * *

_He hated that after everything he had done to her, she was standing up for him. He hated how he needed her to do so. He hated her and everything she stood for. She stood there, the most innocent person in the room—and yet she wasn't. He knew she wasn't, because he had taken that from her._

_She stood there, the only person that was willingly defending him. He had defiled her. He had ruined her every chance of happiness—yet there she stood. She stood with her head higher than it had ever been before._

_What Sasuke didn't realize was that he had broken her down to her core, so that she could learn to build herself up again._

* * *

It was raining. Pouring, really. Lightning struck somewhere in the distance. War was raging in the Hidden Leaf Village. Not the third shinobi war. Not a civil war. A war between Sasuke and Naruto, Konoha hanging in the balance.

Sasuke was so confident he would win. He was the last Uchiha. He had been trained by one of the legendary sanin. He had gained his brother's abilities. The idea that he might lose never crossed his mind.

Naruto could not afford to lose. Everything precious to him was riding on this battle. His beautiful wife and unborn child waited at home for his return. He could not fail them. He would not fail him. He knew he couldn't lose this battle.

Their kunai clashed. The kunai of their followers clashed, Naruto with his village and Sasuke with his own. Leaf against Sound. All fighting for some kind of goal, for some kind of solace. All fighters, but not all shinobi.

There was so much blood. Blood covered the streets, making the forming puddles turn red. Buildings were destroyed. People were killed. Families were broken. Naruto could not have that, he refused to have that. He had worked so hard to become Hokage. He had worked so hard for his village, his goals, and the love of his life. He would not let Sasuke take them away from him.

Sasuke was angry—angry at everyone. They had taken everything that was precious to him away. They were all at fault. Every last one of them was guilty for taking away his family, his life, and his sanity. He would not rest until they understood how it felt. He would never rest until they were just as broken and corrupted as him.

Hinata sat down, rubbing her belly affectionately. She wished she could reach her feet—they ached so badly as of late. Instead, she settled with propping them up on a chair to try to help increase the blood flow. She hardly showed yet, and she hated it. She loved the beautiful child forming inside of her, but she hated that she couldn't help. She hated that she couldn't help protect the ones she loved.

It wasn't raining the day it happened to her. It was still and the sky was clear of clouds. If one were to look up, he would see thousands of stars above him. Hinata was on her way home from a neighbor's. Her neighbor had invited her over to get some clothing that her neighbor's now toddler had outgrown. She had stopped and had tea with her, exchanging pleasantries and conversation—both of which Hinata had not had in forever.

Hinata walked home slowly. It wasn't that it was hard to walk yet, and she didn't waddle. No, she was entranced by the quietness of the night. It had not been quiet since the battle had started. Was it over? Was it finally over? She couldn't help the hope that bubbled in her chest.

That's when he struck. He had stalked his prey, and then waited. When she rounded the dark corner, he was there. She fought him with all her might, but it was a losing battle. He had won it from the start. She fought the whole while, even as the tears ran down her face. She had screamed out as loud as she could, even when his hand covered her mouth.

When he was done with her, he left her there. She could do little more than tremble on the cold ground. He sunk into the shadows as the silent tears continued to fall down her face. The quietness had been the calm before the storm. The only sound she could hear now was the racing of her heart pounding in her ears.

She didn't even move when she was found. Naruto carefully bent down and pulled her into his arms. She didn't even look at him. Naruto grit his teeth, willing the tears not to fall. She just stared at the shadows in the corner, unable to look away.

He had immediately taken her to Tsunade. She checked on her even before the injured shinobi. She was fine, she had insisted. She warned him in private, though. If the stress of the incident got to her, the baby could be at risk. He had to make sure she remained calm.

He went back into her room, pulling up a chair beside her bed and pulling her hand into his own. "Hinata," he said quietly, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Hinata, please talk to me." She didn't look at him—only stared at the shadows that danced in the corners of the room.

He took her home and had someone watching her at every waking moment. She sat in her room, in her newfound prison. She kept every light on in the house, even when she went to sleep. She would wake up many times during the night and go to look out the window. She wouldn't answer her pleading husband—only stared at the moving shadows in the dark.

Naruto had fought with a new vengeance. A new fire lit his eyes, Sasuke noticed. It excited him. The next battle between the two of them was unlike any they had ever experienced. The fox had come out, Naruto's anger released. Sasuke had finally gotten what he wanted. He had completely severed his bond with Naruto. They would never, ever be friends again.

"Is this what you wanted?" Naruto yelled over Sasuke's broken body. Almost all of Sasuke's bones were broken. He couldn't even move to look the blond in the eye. "Did you want me to break your body? To render you completely useless?"

"Anger is so much stronger than your philosophies," Sasuke said with a grin on his face, which was lopsided because of his partially broken jaw and cheek bone.

"You're wrong, Sasuke. Anger takes control of you and makes you into a monster."

"Funny, how people used to call you a monster, and now you throw it around at others."

"For a while I was convinced I was. Now I realize that as long as I am in control and not the demon inside of me, then I am human."

"You're as human as me," Sasuke said, jerking his head so hard to the side that it cracked. Finally he could meet Naruto's eyes. "And I'm not human anymore."

Naruto dragged his body to the S-Ranked Criminal holding cells, and threw Sasuke into one. He then ordered Tsunade to heal Sasuke so that he could break all of his bones again. Justice had finally caught up with Sasuke Uchiha, and he was going to make sure he paid every penny.

* * *

"Naruto," she breathed when he entered the house. His eyes lit up and he ran to her, wrapping his arms around her and breathing in her scent. He mentally cringed when she stiffened slightly in his hold, but quickly forced herself to relax.

"Hinata," he said into her hair. "I love you. I missed you." She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly to her.

"I missed you too. I'm glad you're finally home, that it's finally over. I-I need you here….with m-me." The stutter that she had worked so hard on losing these past few years was back. That bastard had done this to her. He had taken away her confidence.

"I'm here, Hinata. I'll always be here for you."

"I know," she said—and meant it. She didn't even realize she was crying until Naruto's shirt was wet and he squeezed her tightly. Sasuke had found Naruto's weakness, and he had exploited it.

She slowly let go of him, pulling away to wipe her eyes and contain herself. Naruto let her pull away and studied her. She had lost weight, there were bags under her eyes, and she looked pale—paler than he had ever seen her. His fists clenched. He was going to visit Sasuke—soon—and when he did, he was going to beat him so badly that no one would be able to recognize him.

Hinata looked at her husband with guarded eyes. Not that she didn't trust him, because she did with every fiber of her being. It was because whenever he touched her now, she couldn't get the image of dark eyes and hair out of her head. The first time Naruto had touched her since the incident, just the simple act of holding her hand, she had wanted to scream.

She hated herself for it. She hated that she couldn't control the reaction to shrink away. She saw the hurt in his eyes whenever she pulled away from him. He refused to share it with her. He was such a strong, strong man. She loved him—not for his physical strength, but his will to never give up. That was his strength.

Slowly, she and Naruto became more distant. He stopped going out of his way to brush his hand against hers. She stopped trying to welcome the physical contact. They began to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, an invisible line between them that neither would cross. When Hinata's nightmares got especially bad, Naruto would move to the couch to sleep.

Hinata wished her husband a soft farewell as he left the house. His eyes met hers and he gave her a polite nod before exiting through the front door. Hinata hated Sasuke for what he had done to her. She hated how she was affecting Naruto. His dreams were crumbling in front of his eyes.

Sasuke was back, just as he had once promised Sakura; however, he was imprisoned and Sakura was not permitted to visit him. He and Sasuke's bond was forever broken. His wife, whom he had dreamed of loving and growing old with, could not even stand to touch him. The only hope left—for both of them—was the tiny life growing inside of her.

She forced herself to eat, even though eating was the last thing she wanted to do. The food tasted bland. She forced the food down her throat. She no longer had her random cravings.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she fell ill. She tried to hide it from Naruto, but she knew he noticed it. She knew it hurt that she was trying to hide it. At one time, the two had held no secrets. Now, they lived tiptoeing around each other.

As she fell ill, so did the precious life inside of her. It was a week before Sasuke's public trial that it happened. Naruto had slept on the couch because he had an important meeting in the morning. Hinata had woken up in a pile of her own blood. She had screamed. She had lost the baby.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Hinata's condition was stabilized. Naruto was heartbroken. He stayed by her bedside, missing his meeting. She woke up several hours later, eyes hesitant as they found Naruto's. "It wasn't…i-it wasn't a dream?" The expression on her face made him crumble inside. He moved so he lay on the hospital bed beside her, allowing the distance she wanted.

"No, Hinata," he spoke carefully. "It really happened."

"I'm s-sorry," she said with her eyes downcast.

"Sh, it's okay. I'm just glad you're okay." Hinata didn't respond after that. Naruto stayed beside her. He waited, as he would for a long time, for her to make the first move. He laid there ready for her to hold when she cried, when she let it all out. But she didn't. She sat there with dry eyes, staring out into nothingness. She bottled it all up inside of her.

It hurt Naruto, but he would never admit to it. They had once had everything. They had a once in a lifetime love and a child on the way. Was this what it felt like for his father, when the kyuubi attacked the village? When his mother died and he sealed the nine tailed fox inside of him?

"When c-can I leave? I think I'm okay n-now." She looked for a moment like she was going to reach out and touch him, and hope bubbled inside Naruto. At the last moment, though, she pulled away and fixed her hair instead.

"Ano, whenever you feel better."

"I-I feel better now." With that said, she slowly pulled herself off of the bed while Naruto went and grabbed the pair of clothes that someone had brought her from home. He handed them to her and she looked up at him under her thick eyelashes. Naruto's cheeks turned a faint red and he turned around to give her privacy. Privacy he had not given her in a long time.

Naruto was not perfect, and he would never say that he was. He turned around and was disgusted with what he saw. Her body still had lingering bruises, yellow and blue marring her skin. There was a scarring slice of skin on her stomach. He turned back around immediately, trying to control the anger that boiled in his chest.

"I'm ready." They checked out and left in the utmost silence, only responding when someone would speak to them. Anyone that looked on at the once perfect couple, and now broken family, cursed fate for what it had done to them. They had both had hard lives. They had deserved each other and what they made each other feel. Hinata's cool smile was not seen anymore. The light in Naruto's eyes had dimmed.

Naruto walked her home like a gentleman, trying to settle her into the living room. "I'm f-fine. You have things to do." He did, but he wasn't about to leave her after what she had gone through.

"It's fine, I can reschedule."

"No!" she said as he tried to help her down onto the couch. He deflated in front of her eyes. Guilt instantly washed over her. "N-no, please go. I'm fine. I d-don't want you to miss anymore work. Y-you always have so much."

"Okay," he said, transfixed by her eyes. They were glimmering—with hope or unshed tears? "I'll be back soon, I promise." She nodded.

As soon as the door shut behind him, she let the tears fall. She curled up on the couch and tried to get the images out of her head. The image of blood soaking the bed and her clothes. The throbbing ache in her stomach. She felt a sob tore through her. She had opened herself up, and now it was all coming out.

Sasuke had taken this all away from her. Everyone knew it. She hated the pitying looks they shot her. No wonder Naruto had always avoided going out when it was busy. Naruto—another sob. He was so perfect, so kind. She wished she could do better. She wished she was stronger. Earlier, when he had touched her when trying to help her, she could only just manage to stop a scream and all of the tears. Only barely.

It all came back to Sasuke Uchiha. A man that she knew little about personally, except the things that her husband told her. They had been rivals and best friends. Then he had tried to break that bond, and disappear. She glanced up at the calendar. His trial was in a week. The trial that would decide whether he was allowed to live or be executed. Naruto had been going to defend him in front of the council. Now, though, she didn't know what he would do. She was sure he wouldn't defend him, but would he push to prosecute?

Hinata slowly dried her eyes and stood, meeting her reflection in the mirror. It was scary, to say the least. She looked like death. She could probably be confused with a corpse. She had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. A ton of work to do if she was about to try to defend Sasuke—which she was.

* * *

Naruto had made his decision on the matter—Sasuke would die. He would die because the bastard deserved it and maybe, maybe afterward Hinata would be able to sleep at night. He was sure Sasuke had done it not because of personal pleasure or because of Hinata personally, but to get to Naruto. It had worked. Funny, how Naruto had once dreamed about the day he would bring Sasuke back to Konoha, how he would defend him to the council, and how Sasuke would be given a second chance at life. He never realized the monster he had become.

"Enjoying yourself?" A voice rasped out and Naruto's eyes landed on the figure. His hands were tied behind his back as he sat on a wooden stool, his ankles tied to the legs. Both of which were tied not with rope, but finely made chakra string. He would like to see Sasuke try to break free.

"Shut up." It sounded too vicious, to animalistic to be his.

"Or what? You'll beat me again?" His eyes were covered with various bindings. He was barely able to sit up straight on the stool. Why was he still so fucking cocky?

"Don't tempt me." Sasuke laughed. It was the laugh of a lunatic. Naruto grimaced.

"That's how we are different. There is nothing you can bribe or threaten me with. I have nothing left to lose. I have no weakness."

_Neither do I, _Naruto almost spoke, stopping himself. He still had Hinata. He was still Hokage. That was enough. "Your weakness is that you have nothing to live for."

"I have plenty to live for," Sasuke's voice became dark and venomous, a complete opposite of the light air it had just held. "Destroying this village and the people in it, for example." Naruto didn't stop himself from socking him. The chair he was sitting on tipped over and slid a few meters before coming to rest, Sasuke uncomfortably on his side, leaning uncomfortably on one of his shoulders.

"You shouldn't speak of such a treason. Your trial is coming up soon."

"Then maybe I'll talk about your beautiful, _innocent _Hinata." Naruto grit his teeth.

"I'll cut out your tongue."

"About how she let me fuck her."

"She did not!"

"About how it felt to dominate her." Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the throat, a red tinge in his eyes. He lifted the stool with him.

"I will cut out your tongue if you ever talk about her again."

"That would make for an interesting trial. A defendant who couldn't even speak up for himself. I'm sure you'd be breaking at least five laws." Sasuke was smirking. He was smirking because he loved how easy it still was to get to Naruto. To get under his skin and work him up so bad he couldn't think.

"You raped her to get to me. You're a sick bastard." Naruto released Sasuke, letting him crash to the floor. He let out a grunt at the pain. Sasuke's smirk was gone, a scowl in its place.

"Don't flatter yourself. It wasn't all about you."

"You thought that she was my weakness."

"She is your weakness." It was said so offhandedly.

"You thought that you would win because of her."

"Yes," Sasuke didn't deny, face going completely emotionless. "She was going to be my means of destroying Konoha.—" Still is. "—but it was more than that." Naruto was barely breathing, he stood so still.

"What was it?" He said dangerously quiet. Sasuke smirked, having trapped him.

"It was the feel of her soft body underneath—" Naruto didn't stop punching him. Not after he had broken his nose. Not after his cheek bone broke. Not after his jaw broke. He didn't stop punching him until the last Uchiha was barely breathing. Only when he was about to take his last and finally breath, did he stop and call Ino in immediately to heal him. He watched as Ino healed him and life returned to his features. He was going to punch him again and again, until it finally made him feel better.

* * *

Koharu Utatane had to look twice when she saw a short, dark-haired girl enter her usually quiet office. She knew who the girl was immediately, always being up to date on the latest gossip and rumors. The latest rumor was about one Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha.

"Ano, sorry. I let myself in. There was no one at the desk." She fidgeted in front of her.

"Usually isn't. What can I help you with?" The girl forced herself to stop fidgeting, locking her arms to her sides and forming fists with her hands. She looked up, eyes no longer covered by thick bangs. Her eyes met Koharu's, the former was taken off guard by the intensity of them.

"I'm here to talk to you about how keeping Sasuke Uchiha alive will benefit Konoha." Hinata's words were followed by a long, awkward silence. Finally, Koharu responded.

"Oh?" Was all she said, giving Hinata permission to go on.

"Hai. He holds many secrets and information that could be highly valuable to us and—"

"Information he refuses to share."

"I will make him share it."

"Hm."

"He also commands an entire village that we are still, though not at the moment, at war with. And he is a very powerful and influential person."

"A powerful person that we can not control."

"I will control him." Her eyes didn't waver as Koharu gave her a hard, scrutinizing look. She had gained that from her husband, the woman realized. The ability to make people believe what she was saying, no matter how ludicrous.

"What happened between you?" Hinata's eyes wavered, falling to the floor. Koharu didn't miss the way her heartbeat began to speed up.

"I-I don't think that's relevant."

"Anything I deem so, is relevant." She watched as Hinata bit her lip, her hands wringing together in front of her.

"H-h-he r-raped me."

"And yet you'll defend him. Why?" Never had she heard of something so preposterous. Especially when she knew that the girl's husband would be fighting opposite her. She wondered how that might affect their marriage. The girl's eyes met hers again—the same intensity in their depths.

"Because everyone deserves a second chance."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry I haven't responded to all of the wonderful reviews yet. I promise I will soon! I hope that I will be able to meet the high expectations set for this story and all you readers continue to enjoy it. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Hinata's heart sped in her chest. Each step was its own form of torture. When she had gotten to the end of the hallway, she couldn't even manage to open the door. The guard that had come down with her did it in her stead. The door opened slowly and she only just managed to make herself take the final steps to his cell.

He sat on a small wooden stool with chakra strings holding his hands behind his back and his ankles to the stool. Seals were drawn nearly all over his body to control his chakra and movement. When his eyes moved from the ground to her figure, she shook in pure fear.

The smirk that formed on his face caused a tremble to tear through her entire body.

"So, you came back for more?"

"S-stop," she whispered. The tears were flowing now. She had never felt so full of hate in her entire life. Never had she wanted someone to die as much as this person. Never had she thought someone deserved it so. This man in front of her was vile and evil.

"I'll admit I'm surprised you came. From the beatings I've been getting from Naruto, I had guessed—"

"S-stop!" Her voice was louder this time, but not by much. Sasuke's eyes roamed her body before meeting her eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself and held back the sobs. This man had taken every happiness away from her. He had taken everything from her.

"Tell me, Hinata. Who do you prefer? Me or Naruto?" A sob tore through her throat, echoing through the small room. The tears were streaming even faster down her cheeks. Her nose was runny and she found herself sniffing in between sobs.

"W-what you did. That w-was—"

"Evil. Terrible. Horrible. I've heard them all before."

"Wrong." He laughed.

"Right and wrong are defined differently from person to person. What I did is completely justified."

"E-except…e-except…" she took a second to take a deep breath and wipe her puffy eyes. "It went against m-my moral code. You have every right to harm yourself, k-kill yourself. But when you b-bring another p-person into it, there is no just-justification." Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes.

"Did you come to scold me or to make yourself feel better about yourself? Because if it is the former, than I have bad news for you." His eyes opened and met hers, a sudden intensity that Hinata recognized from her nightmares. "I won't make it that easy."

Hard charcoal eyes flashed through her vision. _Suddenly, all she could see was black. She saw a street light in the distance, shadows dancing around her. Her arms were pinned to her sides. He was above her. All she could smell, all she could feel, all she could sense was him. He overwhelmed her senses and her heart was on overdrive. _

_There was no up, no down. There was no time. All there was were her endless screams that came out as little more than a mumble. Eventually, her voice was so scratchy that he didn't bother to cover her mouth any longer. Tears were streaming down her face. She cursed herself for being so weak, for being so stupid. _

_This was her fault. It was all her fault._

_If only she were stronger, smarter, better. She had not been enough for her clan and now, in the hour that she needed it the most, she would not be strong enough for those most precious to her. _

_"W-why?" She managed to rasp only as he was nearly finished with his work._

_"Because all of my suffering is your fault."_

Hinata screamed and ran from the room, leaving a smirking Sasuke in her wake. The door slammed behind her and her guard grabbed onto her arms, trying to calm her. "Don't touch me!" She screamed, thrashing out at him. He released her and watched as she crumpled down into a fit of dry heaving and sobs.

"What do I do?" The one shinobi asked the other.

"Call the Hokage."

"But she said—"

"What else do you suggest?" The two looked down at the woman who looked nothing more than a frightened child. She was curled into a ball and whispering something to herself as she rocked back and forth.

Without a word, the first shinobi set off to find his Hokage. The second watched the girl, not knowing what else to do.

"Go to sleep, little Hinata," he heard her mumble under her breath. "Mommy promises there are no monsters hiding under the bed."

He looked at her in concern, feeling completely useless. Her eyes met his with such intensity that he fidgeted in his place.

"Mommy lied," she told him with a straight face before her face broke, contorting into a face of utter pain. "T-the monster is in t-the corner. A-always looking. W-waiting to pounce, waiting to s-strike. He's in the shadows. Don't trust shadows."

The shinobi nearly jumped when the Hokage appeared beside him. "Sir!" he responded after a short pause. The Hokage looked down at his wife with the same expression as the two guards. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms, but he knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Hinata?" he spoke softly, crouching down to her level. She looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed out as she rushed to wipe her eyes.

"Why are you sorry?"

"F-for all the pain I've caused. I-I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough."

"Hinata, you didn't—"

"Stop!" She yelled as he moved nearer to her. "Please," she spoke quietly. "Please don't come any closer. I can't help it, it hurts so bad. I think I might explode from the inside."

"Okay," he spoke and sat down where he was. The two shinobi watched him carefully but he waved hem away. "Go." The tone in which he said that one word, sent them running the other way.

He looked over at his wife with sad eyes. He propped his arm up on his legs and lay his forehead on it. Useless. He was useless to her. There was absolutely nothing he could do to comfort her, to make her feel any better.

"I-I love y-you," she spoke in a small voice. He looked over to meet violet eyes surrounded by a bold red. She was broken, he realized. Broken down to her very core. He had seen her wounded, he had seen her fall down. But he had never seen her like this.

"I love you too, Hinata. Always will." She smiled a sad smile and nodded slowly before looking back down at her hands. She had never had much self-esteem, but she had always managed to fight because of her sense of purpose. Her mission was to help him accomplish his dreams, and she wouldn't stop until they were reached.

She managed to put up with her father's abuse, her sister's hate, and her clan's cruelty. She managed to live with the whispers of villagers saying that she wasn't even good enough for her clan. When it was announced that she was to be married off, she managed only because she could get glimpses of Naruto's smile.

"S-smile for me? Please?" Naruto looked over at her, face drained and neutral.

"I can't. Not after all this. Not now."

_I can't live in a world without your smile,_ she thought to herself. She sat there for a while as she thought to herself. She looked over at her broken husband, never having seen him the way he was now. He was always her rock, her strength. Now he sat there looking as if he had aged thirty years overnight.

_Get up, _she told herself. If she didn't move now, she never would. With shaking hands, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. She couldn't watch everything crumble in front of her very eyes. She couldn't see the man she loved as nothing but a shell of his former self. She couldn't see him giving up on his dreams, giving up on life in the way he was.

_Get up, you selfish git. _Slowly, and still shakily, she moved so she was on her knees. She rose on unsteady legs. Naruto glanced her way and was amazed at what he saw. Slowly, ever slowly, Hinata was rising. He didn't dare move. He didn't dare go to catch her as she nearly stumbled forward. She stood for a few seconds before looking down at him, the two of them meeting eyes.

Hesitant blue. Hesitant lavender.

_I love you_, passed between them.

He watched as she put one foot in front of the other and put a hand out to help him up.

_I'm not going to hold you back anymore, _hers said.

_You're the one pushing me forward,_ his said.

His hand met hers and she leaned back, pulling him to his feet. The contact between them was small, and seemingly insignificant, but it was a miracle for the couple. They stood there quietly for an unknown amount of time, both lost deep in thought.

Naruto felt a tug on his arm, looking to see Hinata pulling on him gently. "L-let's go…home." He looked down at their conjoined hands, focusing on the feel of her touch. He had missed it and nearly forgotten the feeling it brought to his chest.

"Hai," he replied with more enthusiasm than he had in weeks. "Let's go home."

* * *

What occurred over the next few days left Naruto stuttering in his place. Hinata had done a complete 180. She had completely remodeled the dining room and living room, and was currently working on their bedroom. Naruto had Tsunade acting in his place so that he could spend more time with her, but Hinata refused to accept that as an answer.

_"Go," she told him. "You'll just be taking up space here." _

The first few times she had told him, he had shrugged it off and had helped her move whatever piece of furniture she wanted. After she told him a few _more _times, he set off to the Hokage tower for a short amount of time. He would come back before the sun would start to set and spend the entire evening by her side.

As soon as the shadows would begin to appear, she would start to fidget. It was during the night hours that she got the most work done. He fell asleep on the couch one night and woke up to see that she had completely redone their sitting room.

When he wasn't home, he made sure to have someone with her or nearby. On one particularly ordinary day, Sakura was spending the day with her. The two were deciding on a new theme for the master bathroom when Naruto set off to work.

His fellow shinobi had gotten quiet and stiff around him and he knew exactly why. They had heard of the Hinata incident. Before, it had been just a rumor. Now, it was a proven fact. The Hokage's wife was crazy. No one knew what else to call it. There were various rumors as excuses why. Some were verging on the truth, some anything but.

Tsunade took one look at the young blond man in front of her and sent him away. "You're in no shape to do any paperwork," she told him and ushered him out with a wave of her hand. That was saying something, coming from the previous Hokage who was known for avoiding paperwork like the plague.

He plopped down onto one of the chairs and laid his head in his hands. "It's Hinata," he spoke after some time. "I don't know what to do."

"She was physically assaulted, Naruto. What do you expect?"

"No, I know and I'm not pushing it. I know it will take time and patience. But what can I do for her? I don't even understand what is running through her mind."

"What has she been doing the past few days?" _Since the incident outside the holding cells,_ she didn't finish.

"She is rearranging the entire house and having small talk like the whole ordeal never happened. I don't get it. One minute she is sobbing every second, and now she is acting like I made it all up. I just…don't get it!"

"Calm down," she spoke harshly. The blond dropped one hand and ran the other through his locks. He took a deep breath between looking up at her. "There are generally three stages to the healing process. So far, Hinata has been overly emotional and has had difficulty with everyday tasks. Now, she is acting as if it hasn't happened and is changing factors in her life. To me, this is wonderful news."

Naruto perked up immediately.

"She has already completed the acute phase and is on the second phase—the outward adjustment phase. She is experiencing both suppression and flight, acting like it didn't happen and trying to escape the pain by changing everyday things."

"Then she's almost done, right? You said there are only three."

"Yes and no," she spoke carefully. "They aren't an exact linear progression. She may take steps backward still. What she needs the most right now is support. You just being there for her and ready to listen, should she decide to talk, is what is going to help her the most."

"When she does—talk I mean, what do I do? What do I say?"

"Just listen. She's bottling the whole thing up inside her and eventually she will have to let it out in order to heal. Listen to what she has to say and let her know that she can trust you, that you aren't going anywhere."

"It's so hard," he said as he looked down at his hands, at the calluses and scars that littered them. "Seeing her suffer and not being able to do anything about it. I wish I could take it all for her."

"I'm sure you would, Naruto," she spoke wisely. "But life doesn't work that way. Right now you should be focusing on Sasuke's trial and how you are going to handle it."

"I already know," he said bitterly.

"And I agree with you. But does Hinata?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why was she down in the S-ranked holding cell that night? The only person down there is Sasuke."

"I-I…"

"Don't ask her—not yet," she spoke quickly. "Just think about it. Are you willing to go against her should she choose to defend him?"

"Why would she?" he yelled, jumping from his chair. "After all he has done to her she should be glad to see him executed! Maybe then she'll have some sense of safety, some respite!"

"We're talking about Hinata here, not your ordinary kunoichi." Naruto collapsed down into the chair and sighed.

"He deserves to die. I'm not going to rest until he does."

"I understand."

"Hinata will be grateful in the end." Tsunade did not comment on this, fearing the man's reaction. Perhaps, Hinata would feel more safe, less bound by the past. But if Tsunade were to bet—and she was a gambler at heart, admittedly a poor one—she would put money on the young woman feeling more guilty than safe, more sad than content.

"I should be going," Naruto spoke as he looked up at the sky. Shinobi were trained to be able to read the sky like a clock. While it was not setting now, the sun would be shortly. "Thank you for all of your advice. I desperately needed it."

"Not a problem," she spoke with a wave of her hand. "Glad that this old lady could help with something."

"See ya, granny-chan!" With a poof, Naruto was gone, and Tsunade was left stuttering. She would never get used to such a ridiculous nickname.

* * *

Naruto sputtered in his spot as he walked through the front door and his eyes landed on Hinata. All of her beautiful long locks—gone. "W-w-what? Hinata, what did you…?"

"She wanted a new look," Sakura defended. Hinata looked up at him nervously, afraid of his disproval. She knew he had always liked her hair long because he had told her so on numerous occasions, but today she had felt selfish. She didn't want to see the exact same person looking back at her in the mirror. She wanted to see someone new, someone stronger than the previous one.

"I mean, I like it. It's different, but nice." Hinata blushed under his scrutiny. Her dark hair now fell in soft layers to just above her shoulders. Her bangs were softer than they had ever been in the past, framing her face rather than lying boldly across her forehead.

"I-I know you like my hair long…but I felt that it had been so long since I had it shorter. It's more convenient this way too." Naruto kept Tsunade's words running through his mind. She was changing everyday things to help cope with the pain.

He walked up to her, happy that she didn't shrink away. He deliberately shortened his stride and softened his step. When he reached her, he was still towering over her short stature, but he was doing so in the least menacing way possible.

The shy smile that spread across her face made all of his effort worth it.

"I _love _it," he said, slowly bring up a hand. He let it hang in front of her face for a few minutes, waiting for her to get used to it, before he gently pulled it through her locks. She had always had soft hair.

If there were ever one word to describe Hinata, he would have first said soft. Her hair was soft, her skin soft, her touch soft. She was gentle and always polite. Her voice never pierced and she never demanded attention. Everything about her was soft—soft violet eyes, soft creamy skin—everything, that is, but her hair. Her hair had always been in bold, jagged cuts.

Now, he realized he would choose the word strong. Not because she had everything ripped from her and was now standing in front of him with a soft smile. Not because of her new hair cut, which was really the softest it had ever been. It was because her entire being radiated a new sense of strength. The way she carried herself, the way she interacted. Hinata had always been hiding herself from the world. Now after being forced to show her every secret to the world, she was shining even brighter.

Hinata was strong. Though still unsure and in pain, she was still standing tall and offering her happiness to him.

_Take it, _her smile was saying. _It's yours for the taking._

_No, _he responded with a smile of his own, a hand playing with a lock of her hair. _It's always been yours to give._

* * *

**A/N: **

**Please, please give me criticism and tell me how you feel about this chapter. It felt so drawn out when I wrote it but so abrupt when I read it over. I _have _been doing my research on this given subject because I don't want it to be like so many other stories that use rape as an excuse for character development and undermine it. I hope that this work doesn't come across that way. **

**End long author's note. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

Naruto woke up the next day expecting another room of their house to be remodeled. He didn't expect the cardboard boxes by the door. "Hinata?" He called, searching through the pile of items for his petite wife. There she was, packing some random trinkets into one of the smaller boxes. Her eyes met his for a second before guiltily flickering to her feet.

"I don't understand." _You were doing so well yesterday_, he didn't add. Was this another part of her recovery? Was she regressing to pushing people away? She bit her lip, gaze slowly reaching his face but not his eyes.

"I-I need some…t-time." _Space, room to breathe, time to think. _Naruto stretched his hands before placing them stiffly at his sides.

"Okay," he breathed. "Okay, we can get through this. I'll go sleep at a friends and—"

"N-no!" Finally, her eyes met his. "My whole life I've b-been dependent on others. I got my strength from you. I need some time…so I can learn to be strong on my own."

Naruto closed his eyes and took in a long, stabilizing breath. He didn't feel very strong at the moment, in fact he felt at his weakest. These past couple weeks had exhausted him, especially with Sasuke's trial looming over his head.

"Are you going to defend him?"

"Yes."

"Even when I prosecute? Even when the entire room knows what he did to you?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Naruto's voice was barely a whisper. "Why defend the monster that still haunts your dreams?"

Hinata's hand shook as she placed it gently on his cheek.

She breathed in slowly, out a little too quickly.

"B-because only then will I b-be able to sleep at night." Naruto looked over at Hinata as she removed her hand and gave him a small smile.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Hinata. I really hope you do."

"I'm m-making it up as I go." With that, the couple broke apart. Naruto watched with an uncharacteristically masked expression as Hinata moved her things out of their home. He wondered how he could have stopped this, how he could have expected this. He couldn't find the answer.

Hinata looked over at her husband with shaded eyes, wondering for the billionth time if this was the right course of action. She was hurting him again, and she told herself she wouldn't. She told herself she couldn't watch that hopeless look in his eyes again.

She slowly sealed all of her personal belongings into scrolls that she placed in her mission pack. Naruto didn't wish her farewell as she exited the front door. She didn't know if this was goodbye, didn't want it to be, but Naruto needed this just as much as her.

_I could have cost him the war. He's too important to be so influenced by the likes of me. His happiness cannot depend upon mine._

"Goodbye, Naruto. I-I love you." She turned abruptly, before she could change her mind and go running back into his arms. She adjusted the straps on her shoulders and made her way to her new apartment. She was given the option of moving back to her previous room in the Hyuuga Compound. She was given the option of moving into several friend's houses.

She didn't—no, she couldn't.

If she wanted this to work, she needed to go all out. She had never, _never _been on her own. She had never relied solely on herself. If she ever wanted to bring a new life into the world, she thought as she looked at her almost smooth belly. She would need to be strong enough to support the both of them.

So she walked to her new apartment, looking stronger than she felt. She ignored the rumors and talk that circled around her. If Naruto could handle—no. If she couldn't handle a few offhand remarks, then she didn't deserve to call herself a kunoichi.

Her apartment was small and clean, perfect for her. It was on the third floor, so she had a nice view of her village from her bedroom window. It would have been cramped if not for her truly meager belongings. It was, fortunately, already furnished and lacked the smell of cat urine that most apartments seemed to always have.

The silence was the first thing to get to her as she sat alone on her bed. She opened all of the windows. It didn't help. She left her apartment as she pulled on a light sweater. Her walk to the market was short as was her breath. She was getting out of shape. She stopped and bought a small radio that could run on either batteries or by being plugged into the wall. She paused in front of a shinobi-specialized shop. Looking down at her clothes and the subtle layer of fat over her stomach, Hinata found herself making her way into the shop.

It was one of the smaller shops and lacked many customers. She was thankful for the solitude. Her hands grazed over various kunai and weapons. She had forgotten the feel of metal in her grasp. The worker at the register watched her silently.

She had plenty of weapons sealed away at home, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself from buying several as well as a new outfit to train in. She paid for her purchases and left the store without a word. The walk to her apartment seemed longer than before.

Sasuke's trial began the next day and would span over a week's time. It was not a widely public trial and only high-ranking shinobi would be present. Various witnesses would be called to speak for or against him. The Hokage, his council, advisors, and all the clan heads would be there to judge. Hinata let out a deep breath. The Hokage would have the last say and Naruto was definitely not going to listen to a word she said on Sasuke's behalf.

What was she going to do about that? She left that thought for another time as she sprinted up the stairs to her apartment. She placed her purchases on the floor by the door and glanced out the window. Seeing that there was still several hours of light, she decided to pay her defendant a visit before she lost her nerve.

This time was going to be different. She was not going to quake in her boots like she had the last time. She was not going to let him have the last word, or the first for that matter. She was going to be the Hyuuga Heiress she was born to be. She would be strong. There was no other option.

This time, she opened the door for herself. She forced her arms stiffly to her side to avoid fidgeting. Sasuke sat on his stool, much less cognizant than the last time she had seen him. His left eye was nearly swollen shut and his face resembled more of a potato than any human's face should be able to. She could see various bruises spread across his skin and could tell by the awkward angle he was holding his arm that it was broken.

His good eye barely registered who she was. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak the first cruel thing he could come up with. She wasn't going to let him.

"No." Whatever he was about to say died on his lips. "I-I'm the one in charge here. Seeing as I'm the only person here that isn't chained and locked up, we follow my r-rules."

"Says who?"

"Me." Hinata had to avoid biting her lip. She was a rock. Her feet were rooted to the floor. She was not yielding.

"You weren't in charge when…" His voice faded from her ears as _that night_ threatened to replay in her mind. She squashed the memory before it could take hold of her.

"I-I'm not as w-weak as y-you think."

"You're definitely not strong."

"Look at y-you. You're tied up, chained to that stool. You are drained of all of your chakra and even if you weren't, you have seals that are blocking off your sharingan. You are helpless, weak, and in seven days you will be killed in the most inhumane way possible." The smirk he tried so hard to pull off looked more like a grimace of pain.

"What do you want from me? You're not getting an apology."

"I d-don't expect one."

"Hn."

"You need my help."

"I don't need **_anyone's_** help."

"Fine," Hinata clipped, pulling the door open. She glanced at what was left of the mighty Sasuke Uchiha behind her shoulder. "Have fun in hell, Sasuke." And with that, she slammed the door closed behind her.

* * *

Hinata suddenly felt liberated. She took in a deep breath, feeling as if she had never smelled something so beautiful. She had an extra bounce in her step as she walked home that evening. She was in such a fantastic mood that she forgot to check the shadows that were appearing as the sun set over the horizon. She was in such a good mood that she made it to her apartment without breaking down.

She ran up the flights of stairs with a new sense of purpose running through her veins. She locked her door behind her and all of the windows she had opened earlier that day. Then, she plugged in and turned on the little radio she had purchased earlier. A sweet little melody filled the apartment.

Hinata made herself a cup of instant ramen, feeling the need to rush to her project. She slurped up the noodles over a notebook, her pencil placed behind her right ear. She needed a battle plan. She couldn't go into that trial tomorrow without one.

First, she needed to get rid of Naruto. His influence was too great and his final say could not be swayed. She needed some kind of evidence to pin against him, though. She needed witnesses that would not know they were sentencing him.

Secondly, she needed to convince the council of the worth of keeping the last Uchiha alive. They would be the easiest to convince. She already had the advisers' full support. She would have her father's support, she was sure. Next, she would have to gain the support of individual clan heads. Some would be easier than others. Those that had the least contact with Sasuke would be the easiest.

Thirdly, she would have to convince everyone there that her opinion and what she was saying was credible and accurate. She needed them to trust her. But how?

And all of this she had to do without Sasuke saying anything stupid and ruining everything she was working for.

As night fell, Hinata was grateful for her recent insomniac tendencies.

She needed all the time she could get.

* * *

The swelling on Sasuke's eye was finally going down enough that he could close it without crying out in pain. He wished he could lay down, but he knew it was all part of Naruto's plan to "crack him."

He scoffed. Like that would ever happen.

He took this time to wonder what he expected to come of the next seven days. He knew he had created quite the list of enemies inside of Konoha; however, he also knew that the blood running through his veins would greatly sway their opinions.

He was the last Uchiha. His blood was like liquid gold. He smirked at that.

_They hate me, but they can't help but respect me._

He decided that if they elected to execute him at the end of the week, that it was a good way to go. Respectable. He would go down in the history books as a martyr to his cause. But it wasn't enough for him. A common criminal maybe, but not Sasuke Uchiha.

No, he was going to leave them with something to _really _remember him by.

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sorry for all the confusion about the pairing of this story. The genre is hurt/comfort/friendship and the character development mainly surrounds Hinata and Sasuke. That is why I labeled it the way I did. Naruto has had a major roll in the story thus far, but he will have less and less as the story goes on. I thought it would be wrong to label it NaruHina if only a small number of the chapters actually contained him. **__**I will be writing more and more of Sasuke's point of view, especially now that the trial is about to start. If you all still think that this story should be labeled NaruHina instead of SasuHina please tell me and I will make the appropriate change. **_


End file.
